Anti-Racist Protests Spark In Italy Following Drive-By Shooting

On February 8, an anti-racist protest occurred in Macerata, Italy, after Forza Nuova, a far-right activist group, demonstrated against immigration, according to BBC. The rally took place one week after a far-right activist shot and consequently wounded six people he had thought were migrants in a drive-by attack. The attack was a rebuttal to a Nigerian being arrested after being suspected of murdering and dismembering a local 18 year-old woman, named Pamela Mastropierto.

The shooter, Luca Traini, admitted to firing the shots after hearing of Mastropierto’s death over the radio in his car. On arrest, he allegedly made a fascist salute. In light of an upcoming national elections on 4 March, right-wing politicians have been using Mastropierto’s death to back-up their anti-immigrant beliefs.

The mayor of Macerata, Romano Carancini, had asked for the demonstrations to be cancelled, however, regional authority allowed for the demonstrations to go on. Effects of these demonstrations have been schools, shops, and church services being closed in fear of clashes breaking out.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, February 13th print edition.